Hans News Service Hyderabad

Pointingout that frequent on and off operations of high-capacity lift irrigation pumps are being carried out at Chandlapur and other pumping stations, BRSLP deputy leader Harish Rao on Wednesday urged Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy to take immediate corrective measures.

In a letter to the Minister, Rao highlighted concerns regarding pumping stations in Kaleshwaram Packages 6, 8, 10, 11, and 12, alongside Devadula Phase-III. He questioned if the government was aware that such operations are fundamentally against engineering design principles and likely to cause progressive damage to impellers, shear pins, shafts, and associated electro-mechanical systems.

The BRS leader recalled that technical experts during installation clearly stated these systems are designed for continuous operation, not frequent start-stop cycles. Each startup results in severe vibrations, hydraulic transients, and water hammer effects.

Repeated operations under these conditions impose abnormal stress on bearings and shear mechanisms, making the practice technically unsound and highly risky. Rao expressed concern that these practices might be continued to induce avoidable damage to shift blame onto the previous government.

He noted these projects represent massive public investment and were designed as continuous-flow systems. Any deviation from prescribed protocols compromises system integrity, increases the maintenance burden, and threatens long-term sustainability. He demanded the government stop this practice immediately and ensure that pumping systems strictly adhere to design parameters and engineering best practices to protect critical infrastructure. These steps are essential to avoid the probability of mechanical failure and long-term deterioration of the state's vital irrigation assets across the entire Kaleshwaram and Devadula networks.